“The heart of Scrum is a Sprint, a time-box of one month or less during which a “Done”, useable, and potentially releasable product Increment is created.”(1)
Overview
Definition: Sprint is the container event and heart of the Scrum to create potentially releasable product increment (page 25, Scrum Insights for Practitioners)
Length: No more than one month
Outcome: Potentially Releasable Product Increment
People: Product Owner, Scrum Master, Development Team, Stakeholders
Sprint Purpose
- A Sprint is like a project with a timeline of no more than a one-month horizon to reach a goal (1)
- First Sprint requires no more than a Product Owner, a team, and enough ideas to potentially complete a full Sprint (2)
During the Sprint:
- No changes are made that would endanger the Sprint Goal;
- Quality goals do not decrease; and,
- Scope may be clarified and re-negotiated between the Product Owner and Development Team as more is learned.
Sprint Length
- Next sprint starts immediately after the end of the previous
- Sprint length should be kept constant to maintain a steady rhythm of delivery (2)
- The time box must be respected and not extended to meet a Sprint Goal
- Gives the development team the ability to inspect and adapt what is really possible within the Sprint length (2)
- Scrum recommends the Sprint length of one month or less, but does not stop you having longer Sprints (2)
- Longer Sprints increase complexity, reduces feedback, and getting valuable feedback from stakeholders
Deciding Sprint Length
Factors to consider when determining Sprint Length (2, pg 27)
- The frequency of requirement change from market conditions
- The uncertainty about the technology
- The frequency the Scrum Team needs feedback from the customers that they are building the ‘right thing’
- The duration for which the Scrum Team can stay focused on the goal, the team’s maturity, its product knowledge, and interdependencies with external teams
How Long Should a Sprint be? (3, pg 109)
- How quickly does the business need to change direction?
- How quickly can the DevelopmentTeam create a ‘Done’ Increment?
Sprint Length for Multiple Teams (2, pg 55)
- Scrum does not require all Scrum teams on the same product to have the same Sprint length
- In practice, if one team has a four week cadence it does not make sense for another to have a three week cadence as there will be long gaps between a fully integrated increment
Sprint Cancellation
- Only the Product Owner can cancel a Sprint, but can be influenced by other Scrum Team members or Stakeholders
- This happens if the Sprint goal becomes obsolete
- Cancelling a Sprint is expensive as everyone must regroup for Sprint Planning again well as being bad for team morale (1)
What happens when a Sprint is cancelled (1)
- Any completed and “Done” Product Backlog items are reviewed
- As the work is potentially releasable the Product Owner may decide to release it
- All incomplete Product Backlog Items are re-estimated and put back on the Product Backlog
References
- The Scrum Guide
- Scrum Insights for Practitioners by Hiren Doshi
- Mastering Professional Scrum by Stephanie Ockerman and Simon Reindl
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